Choosing the Best VPN: 5 Tips for First-Time Users
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are not without their risks. Many people who want to use a VPN start with a free service, but that is not always a good idea. Jan Youngren, cybersecurity and consumer protection specialist at VPNpro outlines five key factors to help users select their first personal, family, or business VPN service.
More than two months have passed since we discussed the VPN situation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. With many countries still under restricted mobility, the rise in both B2C and B2B VPN usage isn’t going anywhere. Even those who were skeptical are beginning to look at the options for safely working from home or accessing geo-blocked content while in quarantine.
Here are 5 best tips on selecting your VPN if you are a first-time user:
1. Be Careful with a Free VPN Service
It’s perfectly normal to look for a free version of the software you’re interested in. The same goes for VPNs and that’s why first-time users often end up with popular but dubious providers.
The argument that 120 million people can’t be wrong doesn’t apply – VPNPro.com’s research has shown that 10 popular free VPNs on Google Play had critical vulnerabilities exposing users to attacks.
In another investigation by Top10VPN.com, 1 out of 4 free VPNs had various leaks that exposed users’ IP addresses and approximate location, making their connection and their data less secure.
Meanwhile, freemium VPNs are a whole other story. Most come from reputable VPN providers that make money not by selling your data or showing you ads (these often go together like a horse and carriage) but by offering premium plans. Freemium VPNs are a good start for new users who haven’t figured everything out yet.
And while not all free versions will give you Netflix, torrenting, and good speeds, you may have some success if you try several free VPNs for different purposes. That’s not the most convenient option, but hey, it’s free, secure, and private.
Don’t:
- Choose a free VPN just because it’s popular
Do:
- Choose a reputable freemium VPN
- Take advantage of a money-back guarantee or a free trial
2. Speed, Gimme What I Need
A VPN can speed up your connection if it’s being throttled – ISPs have been known to do this for P2P traffic in some countries. However, most of the time, a VPN will slow you down because of encryption and the fact your traffic is taking a roundabout route to its destination. That’s a price you’ll have to pay, but it doesn’t have to be a hefty one.
Even premium VPNs differ quite a lot in terms of what kind of speed they can offer. While counting the Mbps depends on many factors, such as your baseline connection, your ISP’s infrastructure, and your location, we can approximately say that the fastest VPN is 50% faster than the 5th fastest.
While the number of countries and servers is important, it doesn’t always translate to great speeds. On the inverse, some VPN providers can achieve good performance with ten times smaller server lists. It’s quality over quantity, especially when it’s so easy to inflate the numbers with virtual servers (which are often virtually located in one country but physically in another).
There’s one more important factor – the tunneling protocol. The fastest VPNs have already started implementing WireGuard, a next-gen protocol that easily beats older protocols. If you want top speed, choose a service that offers it.
Don’t:
- Think that thousands of servers equal hundreds of Mbps
Do:
- Test the speed for yourself and compare with other VPNs
- See what kind of results reliable reviewers get
- Look for WireGuard support
Learn More: What Is a Virtual Private Network (VPN)? Definition, Components, Types, Functions, and Best Practices
3. Customer Support
It’s normal to have questions and run into various issues when using a VPN for the first time. Unfortunately, not all providers have extensive and easy-to-navigate knowledge bases, and far from all offer a 24/7 helpline.
That’s why we recommend choosing a VPN that’s there for you whenever you reach for it. And speaking of ways to do that, a live chat is probably your best option. Some VPNs have a call line, but that can be less effective when you’re still not familiar with the interface and main terms.
With a live chat, most problems will be solved in minutes and if not, you’ll receive an email later. That’s much better than submitting a ticket during a weekend and knowing that you can expect an answer on Monday (at best).
All top-rated premium VPNs have polite and knowledgeable support agents that are usually quick to reply
Don’t:
- Think that you won’t run into any issues
Do:
- Think about investing a few bucks into a VPN with 24/7 live chat
- Believe that 24/7 email is better than Monday to Friday 9 to 5 live chat unless you’re in the same time zone.
Learn More: Zero Trust (Not VPNs) Can Solve Remote Access Crisis
4. Supported Devices
All premium VPNs have apps for desktop and mobile. However, you should see if your chosen service works with your other devices. Most VPNs support routers to protect all devices connected to your wifi, but some also have dedicated apps that make configuration easier.
Always check whether your device is supported or has its own dedicated app. The latter is the better option, but it’s not always possible. For example, VPN is not supported on game consoles, such as Xbox or PlayStation. However, an app for Amazon Fire TV & Fire Stick is quite common.
VPNs are not always about security. Sometimes you only need to unlock a streaming platform that’s not available in your country due to geo-blocking. In such a case, a VPN service with a SmartDNS feature is a good idea. This way you will also get a faster connection, which you may need for Full HD or 4K streaming. What’s more, SmartDNS can be configured on media-friendly devices, such as game consoles or Smart TVs that don’t have full VPN support.
Finally, most of the time there’s a limit to how many devices you can connect at the same time. Most VPNs have it around five. So if you plan to connect a laptop, your phone, TV, and game console, you have one slot left. And what about your family? Well, if you want a VPN for more people, going for a service with unlimited simultaneous connections is your best bet.
Don’t:
- Choose a VPN expecting it will add an app or support for your device sometime soon (even if it’s written on their website)
Do:
- Check if a VPN has apps for all your devices. If not, are they supported and can they be manually configured?
- Have in mind the limit of simultaneous connections
5. Value for Money
VPN services vary greatly in terms of price. It’s absolutely normal to find a provider that costs two times less and offers the same or even greater feature package. Therefore, make sure you compare the offers, especially when going for a long-term plan (most VPNs offer huge discounts for 2-year or even 3-year options).
For example, you find a $2/month annual deal that suits your needs but doesn’t have a 24/7 live chat. Then there’s this competitor for $2.5/month that does have it. On paper, that’s a 25% price increase. Now it’s time to ask yourself, is saving $6 per year worth it?
Not all providers have the same pricing plans, so you might end up comparing a six-month deal with a bi-annual one. In such a case you should always consider that most of the top VPNs are not going anywhere anytime soon. If you can save a significant amount by going long-term, that may be the wisest thing to do.
And since most VPNs offer a money-back guarantee or a free trial, you should have enough time to opt for a different service without spending a dime.
Don’t:
- Try to save a few dollars a year at the cost of quality
- Pick a VPN service that doesn’t offer at least a 7-day money-back guarantee
Do:
- Compare different plans of the same VPN
- Compare different plans of different VPNs
Learn More: It’s Time to Rethink VPN Service for Post Pandemic World
Bottom Line
There’s much more to it when choosing your first VPN. We haven’t covered the nuance of VPN ownership, privacy policies, or security features, which vary greatly. However, these five things to consider should be a good starting point to find the best VPN to fit your needs.
It’s highly unlikely that VPN services will offer significantly better prices or better free plans in the future – the tendency is moving in the opposite direction. So if you want to save, finding the right long-term plan today is in your best interest.
